Kickboxer

Mark DiSalle and David Worth share the directing credit; DiSalle wrote the story with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Glenn A. Bruce the screenplay. Tong Po, the Thai champion, is played by Michel Qissi, born in Oujda, Morocco, and taken to Brussels at the age of 2. A childhood friend of Van Damme, he also worked on the fight choreography, and he plays the part under heavy facial makeup. Both men on opposite sides of the ring grew up in the same city. The sharpest idea is the rule of the final bout: both fighters wrap their hands in hemp rope, coat it in resin and dip it in broken glass. The preparation stays with you longer than the fight. Cannon placed the release on the dead weekend after Labor Day. The Los Angeles Times reported that no studio titles were scheduled, that the film opened on 973 screens, and that its 4.1 million dollar weekend took third place. Made for 2.7 million dollars, it took 14.7 million in the United States. Dennis Alexio, who plays the crippled brother, was a real world kickboxing champion. A good fit if you accept a training block longer than the bout it sets up. Not for anyone unwilling to sit through an assault on a woman used as fuel for the hero.